Document handling apparatus



May 8, 1962 w. H. DREYER 3,033,445

DOCUMENT HANDLING APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 20, 1958 '7 Sheets-Sheet1 IN V EN TOR.

May 8, 1962. w. H. DREYER 3,033,445

DOCUMENT HANDLING APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 20, 1958 '7 Sheets-Sheet2 w50 NQNN Qmv, M m .m T m V @QN @QN MM S w\\ n mw ww W W l uw wl-.. -bwNm w 4| |4 I May 8, 1962 w. H. DREYER 3,033,445

DOCUMENT HANDLING APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 20, 1958 7 Sheets-Sheet5 INVENToR.

May 8, 1962 w. H. DREYER 3,033,445

DOCUMENT HANDLING APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 20. 1958 '7 Sheets-Sheet4 IN V EN TOR.

Z/Mjf May 8, 1962 w. H. DREYER 3,033,445

DOCUMENT HANDLING APPARATUS original Filed oct. 2o, 1958 7 sheets-sheet5 May 8, 1962 w. H. DREYER 3,033,445

DOCUMENT HANDLING APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 20, 1958 '7 Sheets-Sheet6 MJF/M54 @6,

May 8, 1962 w. H. DREYER 3,033,445

DOCUMENT HANDLING APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 20, 1958 '7 Sheets-Sheet7 IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent O sosa-aas DOCUMENT HANDLING APPARATUS William H.Dreyer, Skokie, Ill., assignor to Cummins- Chicago Corp., Chicago, Ill.,a corporation of Illinois Continuation of application Ser. No. 768,408,ct. 20, 1958. This application Dec. 27, 1960, Ser. No. 78,773 27 Claims.(Cl. 234-69) The present invention relates in general to businessmachines, and in particular to such machines for handling and operatingon separate documents fed therethrough. The term operating on as usedheerin refers either to the application to or the reading from adocument of information bearing indicia of any type.

In recent years there has been increasing use of automated businessmachines such as tabulators, sorters, and posting machines. Moststartling in their performancecapabilities are electronic computers ordata processing machines which rapidly perform the various calculatingoperations previously done mentally or with manually controlled deskmachines. Such computers work on numbers expressed in an appropriatecode notation acceptable to electric and electronic logic circuits.These computers cannot read numbers which are conventionally printed orwritten on documents. In processing commercial documents, such as bills,checks, and payment stubs, it has in the past been necessary for a clerkto transcribe those numbers into the code language of a computer onmagnetic tape or punched cards after the documents have been returnedfor processing by the accounting department. The tape or punched cardsare used as the carriers of infomation to be processed by computingapparatus.

Desirably, this transcribing step and its requirement of mental andphysical work by human clerks should be eliminated, and the documentsread directly by apparatus which can supply the necessary signals to acomputer, sorter, or other business machines. To a limited extent, thishas been .accomplished through the well known practice of makingdocuments such as checks or bills in the form of punched cards. But theformat of these punched cards has not been widely acceptable to thelarge majority of commercial establishments. Such punched cards mustberelatively stiff or inexible, they must be of a uniform size, and theposition-coded holes punched therein must be so large and so spread outas to drasticallylimit the area for and the arrangement of printedlegible indicia. Each card must be read as a whole, and its edges mustremain true to properly locate it in a reading or punching machine.Bending or creasing of these cards impairs their acceptability in cardhandling and reading machines.

There are various ways in which information can be represented so as tobe susceptible of reading by machines. One example is punched paper tapein which a coded combination of holes is perforated in each row acrossthe tape, there being one unique combination of hole positions for eachof the several possible characters, i.e., numerical digits, alphabeticalcharacters, etc. The Flexowriter code for punched tapes is well knownand considered as exemplary. While this form of information coding byperforated holes requires much less space to represent a given amount ofinformation, it has heretofore been employed substantially only on longlengths or reels of paper tape. information applied to partial areas orfields on separate documents have been thwarted by what seemed to be.

y ment with the operating means, i.e., hole punching or reading means.Sweeping or scanning systems have been Attempts to utilize such codedVproposed to avoid the alinement problem but they have entailed verycomplex and expensive apparatus.

It is the general aim of this invention to make practicable the use ofsmall portions or elds on separate documents, the eld containing codedindicia such as perforations which can be successfully placed on thedocuments and read successively therefrom by automatic equipment.

In a more specific sense, it is an object of the invention to solve thealinement problem which has heretofore caused difficulty, and requiredcomplex equipment, in the automatic handling of separate documentshaving partial areas or fields for containing compactly representedinformation or numercial data.

Another object of the invention is to provide an arrangement whichwillprecisely aline fields of documents, such as checks or coupons made ofordinary flexible paper and having a variety of sizes and shapes, withthe operating means in a machine as the documents are fed rapidly andsuccessively therethrough.

It is a further object to eliminate wrinkles or bends in separatedocuments as information-containing fields are brought into alinementwith operating means, so that errors due to distortions in the documentitself are minimized.

Still another object is to provide an alinement arrangement which isequally successful whether the separate documents are fed continuouslyor in small intermittent steps past operating means.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the followingdescription proceeds, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a typical document of the type having perforation fieldstherein and which is successfully handled by the apparatus embodying thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a document-handling machine having its topcover removed and embodying the features of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section, taken substantially alongv the line 3-3 inFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary detaily view taken substantially along the line4-4 in FIG. 3, and with certain parts partially broken away for addedclarity;

FIG. 5 is `a detail View taken in vertical section substantially alongthe line 5 5 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the present machine showingdrive connections to the moving parts therein;

FIGS. 7a-7d are stop-motion views illustrating the action sequence bywhich a document is ralined in a longitudinal reference position on :andtransferred to a moving support; f

FIGS. SLi-Sc are sequential stop-motion views illustra ing the automatictransverse alinement of a document;

FIG. 9 shows another type of commercial document havinginformation-representing illegible patterns of perforated holes therein;

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a second type ofdocument-handling machine embodying the features of the invention, andspecifically a machine for perforating holes in separate documents;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of the machine shown in FIG.l0; and

FIG. 12 is afragmentary perspective illustration of still anothermachine which is similar to the one shown in FIGS. l0 and ll, butadapted to read the perforations in documents fed successively thereto.

While the invention has been shown and will be described in some detailwith reference to particular embodiments thereof, there is no intentionthat it thus be limited to such detail. On the contrary, it is intendedhere to cover all modifications, alterations, and equivalents fallingwit-hin the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appendedclaims.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a typical payment coupon is there shown ashaving a strip area 11 which is divided into four lengthwise sections12-15 for receiving numerical indicia representing a transaction code,an account number, a due date, and an amount due. This is the type ofstub or coupon which is made up and forwarded to a customer with a bill,and which is returned to the issuing company at the time that the billis paid. If payment is indicated bya cashiers stamp in an area 16, thecoupon is then used by the accounting department to sum the totalreceipts, to enter the payment in the customers account record, or `forvarious other purposes. The paper stock from which the coupon is made isconventional, ie., quite exible like the paper used for ordinary bankchecks.

As shown i-n FIG. 1, the essential numerical data associated with thetransaction is represented by visible indicia which take the formperforations so patterned or positioned to represent the code number 12,an account number 45678, a due date which is the 21st of the month, andan amount due of $38.24. It will be apparent that each numeral is sorepresented by punching or perforating holes in a certain combination ofeighteen stations arranged in `a 3 X 6 matrix. This matrix area istermed a perforation field, the fields for the digits 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8being indicated in FIG. 1 by the dotted line rectangles 13a-13e. Theterm field as used herein is intended to denote the area assigned toreceive the indicia for any character, regardless as to whether thatindicia is legible or illegible in form and irrespectiveI nf the mannerin which the indicia is applied to the document.

For purposes of alining and translating the document 10, it is providedwith an elongated row of uniformly spaced feed holes 18 which are hereshown as circular in shape and of a relatively large diameter comparedto the diameter of the perforation holes. These feed holes 1S are givenreference spacing in each document, regardless of its size, by adistance d1 from a reference edge, here the top edge 19 of the document1t). Moreover, each of the perforation elds is located to have areference spacing from one of the feed holes 18. As shown in connectionwith the field 13a, the associated feed hole 18 is located a distance d2below the lower boundary of that field, and is located a distance d3 Itothe right of the left side or boundary of the eld 13a With thisreference spacing, it is known that each iield will have a particularposi-tion relative to the feed hole associated therewith. Of course, itwould be possible to have a smaller number of feed holes and to let twoor more of the perforation elds be spaced with reference to a singlefeed hole.

The foregoing will serve to give an understanding of a typicalcommercial document which is to be employed in business machinesembodying the present invention. It is to be understood, however, that(a) the particular size and shape of the document, (b) its nature,Whether a payment coupon, check, bill, inventory slip, or the like, and(c) the particular form of information coding, whether punched holes,magnetic spots, non-reflective spots or the like-are not critical to theadvantageous application of the present invention.

`It -is possible for a clerk to copy down manually the numbers whichappear on the document 10 and to post, sum or otherwise process thosenumbers mentally. It is also possible for a clerk to transcribe, as bytyping into special machines, the numbers to convert them into adifferent form of signals on punched cards, punched tape, or magnetictape which can be accepted by computers or data processing apparatus.Such transcribing may result in errors, and it consumes valuable time.With the increased use of automatic sorters, data processors, and thelike, it is highly desirable that the information on 'documents such asthat shown in FIG. 1 be read directly by a machine and translateddirectly into electrical signals acceptable by the apparatus, or intoother record forms which serve as input mediums to computing apparatus.V

To simplify the reading of perforated characters in the document 10automatically and rapidly, or the application of such characters to thedocument in the first instance, each perforation field in the documentshould be accurately alined with the reading or perforating means eventhough the field passes rapidly by such means.

The apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 2-6 is an exemplary document handlingmachine which can operate successively on a plurality of'documents assuch that shown irr FIG. 1. Specifically, the machine here illustratedreadsl perforated numerals and supplies Ia unique electrical out-r putsignal for each of the several possible numerical digitswhich may appearin the document.

By way of background information, the reading machine here shown is ofthe type more fully disclosed in the copending application of lames L.Quinn, Serial No. 768,396, filed October 20, 1958. Because the photo-velectric and electronic circuits disclosed in that copending applicationform no essential part of the present invention, they will not bedescribed in detail. It is sulncient to note only that the machine ofFIGS. 2-8 employsa stationarily mounted photoelectric reading headZlwhich has a generally rectangular front face 21a sized tobesubstantially coextensive with a perforation eld, such as any of thefields 13a-e in FIG. 1. Whenever one of the perforation fields is alinedwith the face 21a of the head 21, light from a lamp or source to bedescribed, passes through the particular perforations which exist inthat ield, and cause photoelectric means to be excited in acorresponding unique combination which identities the legible numericalcharacter. The output of the photoelectric head 21 passes through acable 22 (FIG. 3) to electrical circuits (not shown) which are disclosedin the aforementioned copending Quinn application.

The problem arises, in the handling of separate documents, of aliningsuccessively each of the perforation elds in successive documents withthe reading head 21 in order that an electrical response accuratelycorresponding to the legible numerical character will be produced. It isessential that each perforation eld be almost exactly alined with thecoextensive rectangular face 21a of the reading head 21 in order thatthe photoelectric means' within the head will produce a true andaccurate response to the number-representing perforations which existwithin that field on a document. It is to the solution of this problemthat the present invention is directed.

Referring in more detail to FIG. 3, the document handling machineincludes as its first major component a mechanism which serves to startdocuments one at a time into the machine. A large plurality of thedocuments are assembled in a stack 25' with their rows of feed holesvertically disposed, and are supported on the licor surface 26 of asupply magazine 23. Adjustable side plates 27 (FIG. 2) hold thedocuments in the stack 2S in a desired position crosswise of themachine. The documents are held upright and urged inwardly by a wobbleplate 31 pivoted at Sil to a presser member 29,

and bearing against the last document in the stack 25 under theinfluence of a biasing spring 32 (FIG. 3) engaged with a parallel linkassembly 34 interposed between the machine frame and the presser member29. As documents are taken from the forward (left) end of the stack, thespring 32 and the parallel linkage 34 cause the presser member 29 andthe wobble plate 31 to move inwardly and to continue the feeding forceon the stack.

In this manner, the foremost document in the stack 25 is brought intoengagement with a starting roll 35 which is driven clockwise (as viewedin FIG. 3). A knife edge 36, adjusted in position by a screw 37, isspaced from the surface of a feed roll '38 by a distance which isapproximately equal to the thickness of one document.v

The feed roll 38 is also driven in a clockwise direction. Thus, theforemost document in the stack 25 is started downwardly with its loweredge entering the space between the knife edge 36 and the feed roll 38.The second document is not immediately started because its lower edgestill rests on the iioor 26 of the magazine, and the starting roller 35does not contact that second document until the preceding one hasentered the machine.

After passage lbetween the knife edge 36 and the feed roll 38, theleading edge of each document strikes an inclined ramp surface 39 and isdeflected to the left (FIG. 3), remaining in engagement with the feedroll 38 so that the entire document is moved outwardly and onto theupper flight 40a of an endless belt 40.

In accordance with the practice of one feature of the present invention,means are provided to bring the row of feed holes 18 (FIG. 1) in eachdocument 10 received from the feeding mechanism into substantialalinernent with a reference plane which contains moving pick-upelements, and to advance the documents toward those elements. Suchelements are here shown as teeth 41 mounted in circularly spacedrelation around the surface of a cylindrical drum 42. The teeth 41 liein a vertical plane represented by the line 44 in FIG. 2.

To advance documents received successively from the yfeeding mechanismtoward the drum 42 withV the feed holes 18 in each document lyingsubstantially in the plane of the teeth 41, i.e., the plane 444, theendless belt 40 is trained over spaced pulleys 40b, 49C and driven, bymeans to be described, such that its upper iiight 40a moves to the left(FG. 2) and toward the teeth 41. The upper flight 40a of the belt 40 isbounded on either side by guide members 4S and 46 (FIG. 2), the formerbeing slidable on support rods 48, 48a to a limit position under theinduence of a tension spring 49. The second guide member 46 is locked,as by set screws 47, in -a fixed position such that the inner surface46a of a flange depending vertically therefrom has reference spacingfrom the plane 44 of the teeth 41. As shown in FIG. 2, this stationaryreference guide surface 46a is parallel to and spaced from the plane 44by a distance d1, equal to the spacing between the edge 19 and the rowof feed holes 18 on the document 10 in FIG. l. Therefore, if thedocument is traversed to the left in FIG. 2 by the belt 40 and with itsreference edge 19 slidably engaging the surface 46a, the row of feedholes 18 will be alined, in a direction lengthwise of the cylinder 42,with the 'teeth 41.

To assure that the documents deposited successively on the right end ofthe ybelt flight 49a always move toward the drum 42 with their referenceedges 19 abutted against and sliding along the reference guide surface46a, the pulleys 40b, 48e are offset in a direction transverse to theaxis of the drum 42, so that the upper flight 40a of the belt is skewedrelative to the plane 44 (see FIG. 2) to move toward the guide surface46a. This assures that as each coupon is advanced by the belt 4l? towardthe drum 42, it will be shifted transversely until its reference edge 19is firmly engaged with the guide surface 46a, and the feed holes 18therein are alined substantially with the teeth 41. As will be pointedout below, it is not necessary that this alinement of the feed holes, ina direction lengthwise of the cylinder 42, be extremely precise. It needonly be approximate.

Means are provided to press the coupons against the belt 40, and yet toexert substantially no retarding force on the belt in the absence ofcoupons. For this purpose, a plurality of spherical metal balls Si)(FIG. 3) are rotatably carried within and project downwardly from asupport member 51 disposed above the belt flight 40a. In the absence ofcoupons on the belt iiight, the balls Sil roll freely within the supportmember 51, and do not impede the movement of the belt ed. On the otherhand, as coupons are carried along with the upper flight 40a of thebelt, the balls 50 engage the upper surfaces of such coupons and holdthem firmly against the belt so that 6 frictional forces cause thecoupons to positively move in unison with the belt flight toward thedrum 42. K

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, a medium or memberhaving a continuous surface movable in a closed path is provided tocarry pick-up elements which are uniformly spaced `apart by a distancesubstantially equal to the spacing of the document feed holes 18, andwhich are adapted to enter the holes with a self-alining action. Thatmoving medium or member is here shown as the cylindrically shaped drum42, although it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that anendless belt or the like may be employed in lieu of such drum. Thepick-up elements are here embodied by the teeth 41 which are mounted incircularly spaced relation and extend radially from the surface of thedrum 42. These teeth 41 are mutually spaced apart by a distance which issubstantially equal to the distance between the feed holes 18 in thedocuments to be handled.

As illustrated best in FIG. 8a, each of the teeth 41 is somewhat pointedor tapered, having a tip which is smoothly rounded and of a diameterconsiderably less than that of the document feed holes 18. On the otherhand, as shown in FIG. 8c, each of the teeth 41 has a root diameter,adjacent the surface of the drum 42, which is substantially equal to thediameter of the ydocument feed holes 18, being only slightly smaller toafford freedom for the document to be brought into conforming engagementwith the drum surface.

In keeping with still another aspect of the invention, means areprovided to rotationally drive the drum 42 at an angular speed such thatits peripheral velocity is different than the approach velocity of thedocuments, e.g., less than the linear velocity of the belt flight 40a.Such rotational drive means can take a variety of forms known to thoseskilled in the art, and an exemplary arrangement will be describedbelow. For the time being it is suficient to note simply by way ofexample, that the upper flight 40a of the belt 40 may be made to movewith a linear velocity of approximately 36 feet per minute, while theperipheral velocity of the drum 42 may be made somewhat different, thatis, on the order of 28 feet per minute. Thus, the documents deposited onthe belt ight 40a will reach the drum 42 with their leading edgestraveling faster than the surface of the drum. This contributes tosuccessful pick-up of the documents and longitudinal alinement thereofrelative to the surface of the drum 42.

Alternatively, the rotational drive means may be arranged to drive thedrum 42 at an angular speed such that its peripheral velocity isgreatery than the linear velocity of the belt flight 40a. Merely by wayof example, it has been found that successful pick-up of the documentsand longitudinal alinement thereof can be promoted when the upper flight49a is driven with a linear velocity of approximately 24.5 feet perminute, while the peripheral velocity of the drum 42 is madeapproximately 27.5 feet per minute. In this case, the documentsdeposited on the belt flight 40a will reach the drum 42 with theirleading edges traveling slower than the surface of the drum.

As another important feature of the invention, provision is made to holdor retard the coupon when its leading edge reaches a position adjacentthe drum surface. For this purpose, a stationary retarding linger 54 isdisposed in closely spaced relation from the surface of the drum 42 andin a position to intercept the leading edges of documents moving on andwith the belt iiight 40a. As shown in FIG. 5, the finger 54 may bemounted on the forward end of the support member S1, that finger beingrelatively wide (FIG. 4) and having a downturned end portion 54a whichclosely approaches the sur-face of the drum 42. This downturned portion54a is spaced slightly around the surface of the drum from the` terminalportion of the belt ight 48a in the direction in which the drum rotates,i.e., counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 5.

While the plane in which the upper belt flight 40a lies may beapproximately tangential to the cylindrical surface of the drum 42, itis preferably disposed along a plane defined by an extension of thechord 55 (FIG. 5 of a shallow segment ofthe drurns cross section. In thepresent instance, therefore, the finger 54 is disposed in a plane whichis substantially tangential to the upper portionY of the drum 42, andthe downturned finger portion 54a is turned in approximately radiallyrelative to the drum surface. The belt flight 40a and the path ofmovement of documents approaching the drum 42 is along a chord defininga shallow segment in the drums cross section. Thus, whenever the leadingedge of a document leaves the belt flight 49a, it will engage thesurface of the d-rum 42 and be turned or deflected by the drum, andthence continue to move around the drum until it engages Ithe downturnedportion 54a of the retarding finger 54.

FIG. 7a illustrates the leading edge of a document just about to engagethe surface of the drum 42 as it leaves the belt flight 40a. FIG. 7bshows how the leading edge of the document is deflected upwardly untilit engages the retarding finger 54. Because the belt flight 46a ismoving at a different speed than the surface of the drum 42, the leadingedge portion of the document will be bowed into an upwardly concaveconfiguration. With the drum 42 continuing to rotate, one of the teeth41 will then slide along the underside of and lift this upwardly concaveportion of the document until it reaches the first feed hole 18 therein.When that occurs, the inherent resiliency in the paper of the documentwill result in the forward edge portion thereof snapping down onto thesurface of the drum, with the tooth 41 on the drum entering the firstfeed hole (FIG. 7c). As this occurs, the engagement of one tooth 41 withthe first hole in the document will pull the latter around with thedrums surface (FIG. 7d). The trailing portion ofthe document will sliderelative to the belt flight 40a as the latter moves at a surface speeddifferent than that of the drum `surface speed. The document will thenbe progressively wrapped onto the drum surface with successive teeth 41entering the successive feed holes in the coupon (FIG. 7d). l

It is important to note that this arrangement assures that the `documentwill be engaged on the teeth 41 of the drum 42 even though that documentis a separate, relatively short piece of paper. And once the document isfirmly located on the drum surface with the teeth 41 engaged in the feedholes 18, then its longitudinal position around the surface of the drumis positively established, at least to the location of the nearest tooth41.

The tapered teeth 41 also compensate for any slight transversemisalinement which may exist between the document feed holes 15 and theteeth 41 as the latter rides onto drum surface. If it should happen thatthe reference edge 19 of a document has been cut ofi or mutilated sothat when it engages the guide surface 46er under the urging of theskewed belt flight 40a, the holes 1S are not precisely alined in theplane 44 of the teeth 41, then the holes 18 may initially have themisalined relationship relative to the teeth 41 which is shown in FIG.8a. However, as the tooth 41 (FIG. 8a) rides upwardly relative to thedocument 10, its pointed or tapered end will partially enter the feedhole 18 and will engage one edge of that hole. A further downwardinfluence, which tends to force the document Vagainst the drum surface,will result in the document being automatically shifted relative to thetooth, such that the feed hole 18 is progressively centered about (FIG.8b) and ultimately surrounds the root of the tooth 41 (FIG. 8c) with thealinement in a direction lengthwise of the drum d2 having beencorrectedVV may be created therein. To a large measure, these can beremoved by rmly pressing a stack 25 before it is placed in the supplymagazine 2S. But some resiliency or permanent set may remain in thosedocuments which tends to cause them to buckle away from the surface ofthe drum 42 after they have been engaged with the teeth 41. Any -suchbuckling might cause slight misalinement of at least a portion of thedocument perforation fields relative to the reading head 21, and makethe latter to produce an erroneous response.

To smooth out each of the documents which is passed successively aroundthe surface of the drum 42, and. bring that document into exactconformity to the circular conguration of the drum surface, means areprovided to hold and press each document tightly against the drumsurface as that document moves therewith. This is accomplished in theillustrated embodiment by a stationary member held in sliding engagementwith the surface of the drum 42. Such member is here shown as a flexibleband tilrigidly anchored at one end and also wrapped around the surfaceof the drum to be engaged with a tensioning spring 61b (FIGS. 3 and 5).This band 61 has a central slot 61a cut therein to permit free passageof the projecting teeth 41, and thus straddles those teeth to hold thedocuments firmly pressed against the surface of the drum at pointslocated adjacent the perforation fields on the documents. In thismanner, each document `is pressed securely into conformity to thecylindrical surface of the drum 42 as it is carried through an arc bythat drum, thereby ironing out `any creases or wrinkles and stiffeningthe document by virtue of the curvature therein.

As shown best in FIG. 4, the drum 42 is generally hollow, with the teeth41mounted near one end thereof. A central flange 42a is connected to ashaft 42o which is journaled in the machine frame. The left edge of thedocument is supported on and slides along the arcuate surface 62a of astationary radius guide 62 mounted on a pin 63 in the machine frame. Theguide 62 is spaced axially from the left end of the cylinder 42 by adistance equal to the height of the perforation fields to leave an openslot 64. A second flexible band 60 is pulled into engagement with thesurface 62a to hold the edge portions of documents firmly thereagainst.

The slot 64 between the drum 42 and guide 62 are so located in adirection lengthwise of the cylinder 42 relative to the teeth 41 thatperforation fields Will lie in registry with that slot as each docurnentmoves with the drum. The photoelectric reading head 21, mounted as shownin FIGS. 4 and 5, is located with its rectangular face 21a alined withthat slot 64, being spaced from the pins 41 by the reference distanced2. Therefore, as each document moves with the drum 42, the perforationfields in that document will successively come into registry with therectangular face 21a of the head 21.

The photoelectric rea-ding head 21, as more fully disclosed in theabove-identified copending Quinn application, contains a plurality ofsmall apertures behind which are located photoelectric cells. Thosephotoelectric cells are normally ineffective and it makes no differenceas to whether or not they receive light from a suitable source such as alamp 65 mounted within the drum 42 and positioned to project Va lightbeam through the slot 64 toward the face 21a of the head 21. If,however, at the instant that the drum 42 is angularly positioned tobring a single perforation eld into registry with the face 21a, thephotoelectric cells are made effective, then those cells will be excitedin a unique combination for any of the several numerical characterswhich may be represented by perforations in the field. It is in thismanner that the indicia placedd on the documents is photoelectricaliysensed or -rea As previously noted, the angled belt flight 41M `andV thereference guide surface 4de, together with the self-alining action ofthe tapered teeth `41 (as shown in FIGS. 8a8c) all cooperate to makecertain that the perforation fields in each document are alined in adirection lengthwise of the cylinder 42 with the slot 64 and therectangular surface 21a of the reading head 21. Moreover, the retardingIfinger cooperating with the belt `flight 43u moving at a differentvelocity than the surface of the drum 42 accomplishes pick-up of eachdocument so that it is carried with the drum and in precisely spacedrelation to the several teeth 41 thereon. In other Words, each couponhas been alined in a longitudinal direction about the periphery of thedrum surface, because each feed hole in the document is snugly engagedwith the root of one of the teeth 41.

For the purpose of rendering the reading head 21 effective at theinstants when each perforation field is exactly alined with therectangular reading face 21a, a plurality of circularly -spaced smallholes 66 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) are drilled in the flange 42a. The holes 66each lie on a radial plane passing through one of the teeth 41, so thatwhen one ofthe holes 66 is in a predetermined angular position, it isknown that the corresponding tooth 41 occupies the same angularposition. This predetermined angular position is so chosen relative tothe reference spacing d3 (FIG. l) that one of the document fields isalined, in the direction of drum surface motion, with the head face 21aat those instants that one of the teeth is passing through such angularposition. Passage of each hole 66 through a predetermined angularposition, relative to the stationary reading head 21 is here detected bymeans of synchronizing photocell =68 located opposite the circular rowof holes 66 on the outer side of the flange 42a. Therefore, just at theinstant that each perforation field in a document is precisely alined inan angular direction about the drum axis relative to the reading head21, some light will pass from the lamp 65 through one of the holes 66and energize or activate the synchronizing photoelectric cell 68. Thesignal from the latter cell 68 is used (as more fully explained in theaforementioned copending Quinn application) to make the operating meansor reading head 21 effective, so that the latter supplies output signalsuniquely identifying the perforated numerical character in the fieldwhich is opposite its surface 21a.

As the leading edge of each document, moving with the surface of thedrum 42, passes beyond the reading head 21, it will engage a stationarystripping finger 7i) (FlG. 3) and be deflected downwardly onto the upperflight 71a of a belt 71. Thus, each document after moving past the head21 on the drum 42 will be deposited on the belt flight 71a, which movescontinuously to the right (FIG. 3). The belt is supported at one end bya pulley 72, and driven continuously in a manner to be described. Theupper belt flight 71a is bounded by appropriate guide members 74, and aplurality of freely rotatable presser balls 75, similar to the balls 50,urge each coupon into firm engagement with the surface of the belt.

As each document reaches the end of the belt flight 71a, it rides upon asupport surface 76 and in between the engaging peripheries of tworotating pull rollers 77, 78. The latter accelerate the document,causing it to be passedv into a delivery hopper 79 Where it is depositedon the top of a stack of previously handled documents.

Thus, each of the documents from the stack 25 is successively fedthrough the machine, being alined transversely with the pick-up teeth41, being automatically engaged with those teeth so as to be carriedaround with the surface of the rotating drum 42 and into precisealinement with the operating means or reading head 21. That reading headl21 supplies electrical responses which can be utilized in any of avariety of Ways, either as direct input signals to a computer or ascontrolling signals to a sorter, tabulator, or recording equipment.After each document passes the reading head 21, it is stripped away fromthe surface of the 10 drum d2, and transported by the belt 71 and thepull rollers 77, 78 to the delivery hopper 79.

While the drive of various continuously rotatable parts in theabove-described machine may take a variety of forms, one suitablearrangement will be briefly described. Referring to FIG. 6, an electricmotor is mounted on the base of the machine, and has its output shaft85a connected by an appropriate pulley S6 and belt 87 to a speedreducing pulley 88. The latter is connected by another belt 89 to ajournaled gear 90 which drives a mating gear 91. The latter gear meshesdirectly with a gear 92 integral with the pull roller 77, so that thelatter is driven at the proper speed, and by fractional engagementcorrespondingly drives the mating roller 78. Rigid or integral with thegear 91 is a smaller gear 94 mounted integrally on the pulley 72 whichsupports the right end ofthe belt 71. Thus, the belt 71 is driven withits upper flight 71a moving to the right as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 6.

The belt 71 is made to perform the second function of also driving thedrum 42. For this purpose, the belt is trained around a tighteningroller 95- on a pivoted arm 96 which is biased in a counterclockwisedirection by the tension spring 61b. From there, the belt 71 is trainedover a stationary pulley 98 located above and inwardly relative to thedrum 42. Thus, a portion of the belt l1 is brought into drivingengagement with the surface of the drum 42 (FIG. 4), causing the latterto be rotated in a counterclockwise direction (FIG. 3) at the desiredspeed. Documents 10 moving with the surface of the drum 42 areinterposed between the drum and the belt 71 but this does not affect thedrive of the drum and does help hold the document in curved conformitywith the drum surface.

Meshed with the gear 94 is a larger gear 100 which in turn drives thestarting roll 35l through -gears 101, 102, lti, 164e and 104. rl`hestarting roller 35 is thus continuouslyv driven. The feed roll 38 ismade integral or rigid with the gear 163 and thus is also continuouslydriven in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 6. Finally, a gearintegral or rigid with the gear 103 meshes with a mating gear 106 whichis integral or rigid with the pulley 43o which supports the right end ofthe belt 46. With the roller 40C driven in a counterclockwise direction,as shown, the upper belt flight 40a moves to the left as viewed in FIG.6 at an appropriate speed which is determined by the relative diametersof the several gears. In this manner, all of the rotating parts in thedocument-reading machine are continuously driven from the single motor85. By appropriate choice of the diameters of the different gears andpulleys, the

linear speed of the belt 40 is made either greater than or less than theperipheral speed of the drum 42, as previously indicated.

Referring now to FIG. 9, a commercial document 1.10 is there shown towhich information is applied in the form of perforations locatedaccordingly to an illegible code. Each vertical space 11, having a widthslightly greater than the diameter of a perforated hole constitutes onelieldf and can contain up to five perforations in different combinationsof vertical positions. Such combinations of holes in different verticallocations can represent different numerical or alphabetical charactersaccording to a predetermined code, for example, the familiar Flexowritercode used widely on punched paper tape. A row of large diameter feedholes 112 is provided in the document 110 spaced from a reference edge114, as previously described in connection with the document 10 in FIG.l. The feed holes 112 are spaced apart by a distance equal to the widthof four vertical perforation fields 111, so that each feed hole `112serves to locate or establish a reference position for four of thenarrow, vertical perforation fields.

The problem ari-ses of feeding a plurality of relatively small documentssuccessively and rapidly past perforating dies which will punch thedesired code combinations in the several fields spaced along suchdocuments. In the past, such coded perforations have been used only onlong strips of punched paper tape, and it was found practicallyimpossible to make individual, short documents or lengths of paper tapeautomatically engage the feeding means and line up properly withpunching dies.

The apparatus illustratedinFIGS. and 11 constitutes one embodiment ofthe present invention associated with an otherwise conventionalperforating machine for punching coded information of the type shown inFIG. 9. This apparatus includes a supply magazine 28 together with astarting roll 35 and a feed roll 38 which are substantially identical tothose previously described in connection with FIGS. 2 and 3. Individualdocuments are fed by the rolls 35 and 38 from a stack 25 such that theyare passed downwardly over an inclined surface 115 and into engagementwith one flight 116e of an endless belt 116. rIhis belt is associatedwith a reference guide surface (not shown), such as the surface 46a inFIG. 2, and skewed or angled relative to that surface as previouslydescribed in connection with the belt 40. Rollers 1=18 carrier bybiasing leaf springs 119 normally engage the surface of the belt fiight116a, and serve to press documents against that surface in a mannersimilar to the operation of the presser balls 50 in FIG. 3.

At the end of the belt flight 116:1, a stationary retarding linger 121is mounted closely adjacent to the surface of the drum y120. The latteris also wrapped and frictionally engaged with a hold-down band 122similar to the band 61 previously described in connection with FiGS. 3and 4. Thus, unperfor-ated documents 110 fed successively from the stack25 will be advanced by the belt flight 116e such that their leading edgeis retarded by the finger 121 and the feed holes 112 therein are engagedby radially projecting tapered teeth 124 on the surface of the drum 120.These documents will be picked' up by and carried with the teeth `124 ina manner previously described. As each document passes through a partialarc, it will be engaged with a stripping finger 125 and deflected onto asupport surface. The leading edge of each document will slide to theright (FIG. 10) along such surface while the trailing edge remainsengaged with the teeth 124 on the drum 1120.

As each document field passes over the support surface 126, it comesinto registry with perforating means to be described in more detail. Thefeed holes in the leading edge ofthe document are then engaged withtapered teeth 127 projecting radially from a second drum 128. Thislatter drum has its surface frictionally engaged by a stationary,flexible Iband 129, so that the documents are successively carriedaround that drum until they are engaged by a depending tab 130 anddeiiected into the entrance chute 131 of a delivery hopper 132.

The first and second drums `1211 and 128 are mounted for rotation Iaboutspaced, parallel axes. These drums are spaced apart and angularly phasedso that when one of the teeth 124 on the first drum i120 isperpendicular to the guide surface 126, then one of the teeth 127 on thesecond drum 12.8` will also be correspondingly perpendicular to theguide surface. The spacing of the two drum axes is such that the twosimultaneously perpendicularY teeth are separated by a distance d4 (FIG.l0) which is a multiple of the spacing between the feed holes 112 invthe documents 110' to be accommodated. This assures that as the leadingedge of each document leaves the drum 121D and slides along the guidesurface 126, the feed holes in the document will accurately line up withand be engaged by the teeth V127 on the second drum 128.

As shown in FIG. 1l, the operating means for acting on the documentshere comprise a plurality of perforating dies or pins 141) disposed in arow transverse to the guide surface 126 and adapted to be selectivelyraised in order to perforate different combinations of holes in eachfield row of documents passing over such guide surface. The perforatingpins 140 are located in the plane of a line 141 (FIG. 10) and this planeis located by a distance d5 fromthe position of the teeth 127 when thelatter are disposed perpendicularly to the guide surface 126. As shownin FIG. 9, each of the feed holes is located by a reference spacing d5from every fourth field row which receives perforated holes. Thus,whenever one of the feed holes 112 is engaged with one of the pins 127on the drum 128, and that pin is in a perpendicular position, then oneof the field rows will be precisely alined with the perforating dies14d?. If the drums 120 and 128 are -angularly stepped through incrementswhich cause the document to be advanced successively by a distance equalto one-quarter of the spacing d5, then each of the field rows 111 in thedocument (FIG. 9) will be brought successively into registry with theperforating dies 140.

At this point it will be helpful to understand the general organizationand operation of the apparatus for selectively actuating the punchingdies 114i) so as to perforate any desired coded combination of holes ina given field row. Referring to FIG. 1l, a continuously energized motordrives a shaft 146 through a belt 14S. The shaft 146 carries africtionally mounted cam 149 rigidly connected with a concentric shaft150 mounting a cam 151. So long as a stop pawl 152 is disposed in thepath of a radial surface on Vthe cam 149, the latter will slip relativeto the shaft 146, and the shaft 150 will remain stationary. However,upon momentary energization of a solenoid 154, the stop pawl 152 wiil belowered against the bias of a spring 155, so that the cam 149 will bedriven through one revolution with the shaft 146, and willcorrespondingly drive the shaft 15) and the cam 151 through a singlerevolution.

The shaft 150 is drivirigly connected (by means not shown) to thestarting roll 35, the feed roll 38, and one of the pulleys whichsupports the belt :116. The shaft 150 is also drivingly connected (bymeans not shown) to another shaft which carries a cam -161 engaged witha follower 162 on a lever -164 pivoted at 165. The cam 161 is so shapedand phased that toward the end of each revolution of the shaft 150, theforward end of the lever 164 will be raised, and will thus raise aconnecting bar 166 which extends from the lever y164 pivotally through aplurality of alined die-actuating fioating levers 168. Under normalcircumstances, elevation of the bar 166 will result in pivoting of thefloating levers l168 about pivot connections 169 between their forwardends and heads 170 connected to the lower ends of the correspondingperforating pins 140.

To selectively raise the pins 140, a plurality of selector solenoids 171are associated with a corresponding plurality of armature levers 172pivoted at 173 and biased by springs 174 such that their forward endsare urged to lowered positions. The ends of the selector armatures 172are notched to engage and retain retracted the upper ends of a pluralityof interposers -175 which are pivoted on a. shaft 176 and biased in acounterclockwise direction (FIG. l1) by tension springs I178. Theinterposers 175 are normally latched in retracted positions byengagement of their upper tips in notches formed on the undersides ofthe armature bars v172. However, upon selective energization of certainones of the solenoids 171, the corresponding ones of the armature bars172 will be raised, so that the corresponding interposers 175 will rockforwardly under the infiuence of their associated springs 178, andlocate notches 175a in the upper tipsV of those interposers in overlyingengagement with the rear ends of the floating levers 168. When the cam161 raises the lever 164 and the rod 1166, those particular floatinglevers which are engaged at their rear ends by interposers 175 willpivot about the interposer tips 175e vas fulcrums, thereby causing theirforward ends to raise and lift the corresponding perforating pins 140.Those particular pins, which correspond to the particular solenoids -171which were previously energized, will then project upwardly through adie plate 140e above the 13 'guide surface 126 to punch holes atselected locations in the document.

Following this punching operation, a second cam 180 on the shaft 160will momentarily raise a follower lever 181 pivoted at 182. This levercarries a transverse bar 184 disposed beneath the lower portions of thecrankshaped interposers 175. Accordingly, all of the interposers 175which were previously rocked forwardly, will now be rocked rearwardly'in a clockwise direction, so that their upper tips snap back into thenotches in the under-sides of the biased armature bars 172. Theapparatus is then restored to a condition for a second cycle ofoperation.

lIn summary, it will be understood that the selector solenoids 171 arefirst energized in a particular combination to select which ones of thelinterposers 175 will be released to move forwardly into engagement withthe floating levers 168. Next, the solenoid 154 is momentarily energizedto permit the cam-149 to b e driven through one revolution due to itsfrictional engagement As previously indicated, the starting and feedrolls 35 and 38, as well as the pulley 116b supporting the belt 116, aredriven from the shaft 150, so that as one document leaves the drum 120another will immediately follow. While such drive connections are notshown because they can take many forms known to those skilled in theart, the ratio of drive to the pulley 116b is such that the averagesurface speed of the belt is different than the surface speed of thedmrn 120.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the apparatusshown in FIGS. 10 and 11 functions successfully to accept individualdocuments fed successively from the supply magazine 28, to aline thosedocuments with the operating means here illustrated as punching pins140, and to actuate such operating means when the fields in the documentare successively in registry therewith. While the first and second drums120 and 128 with the continuously rotating shaft 146. This will rev sultin the shafts 150 and 160` being rotated through one revolution, the cam161 on the latter shaft raising the bar -166 pivotally connected at themidportions of the floating levers 168, so that those particularfloating levers -168 which are engaged by interposers 175 will rockabout their rear ends as fulcrum points and raise those particular onesof the perforating pins 140 which correspond to the previously energizedsolenoids, 171. As soon as the preforating pins 140 have been lowered,the cam 180 raises the lever 181 and the bar 184 to restore thepreviously released interposers 175 into retracted, latched engagementwith the solenoid armature levers '172.

Following the perforation of selected holes in one field row 1,11 of adocument 110, `it is necessary to advance the document adistance equalto the width of one field before the next perforating operation takesplace. For this purpose, means are provided for successively step- Vpingthe rst and second drums 120 and 128 in unison by intermittentrotational steps which advance the document along the guide surface 1,26by a distance equal to the width of one field row. As here shown, afollower roller 186 (FIG. l0) is engaged with the cam 151 and mounted onone end of a lever 188 pivoted at 189 and connected at its opposite endwith a vertically slidable bar 190. Each time that the low point of thecam 1511 lets the follower 186 drop under the influence of a biasingspring '191, the bar 190 will be momentarily raised, and

.then lowered. Pivoted on a pin 193 fixed in the bar 190 Vand biased bya spring 192 is a double-ended pawl 194 having tips 194a and 194i;engaged with the teeth of ratchet wheels 195 and 196 connected rigidlyto the respect-ive drums 1.20 and 12S. As seen in LFIG. 10, each timethat the pawl 194 is elevated, its tip 194a will rotate the ratchetwheel 195 through a predetermined angular increment in acounterclockwise direction, while its tip 194b Iwill rotate the ratchetwheel 196 through a correspondng angular increment in a clockwisedirection. Spring-biased detents 198 and 199 retain the ratchetwheels195 and 196 in their angular positions as the pawl 194 is loweredby the sliding bar 190 and the pawl teeth 19451, 1941;. slip relative tothe ratchet wheels. The low f point of the cam 151 is so phased on theshaft `150 that this angular stepping of the two drums 12) and 12S inunison occurs just after the solenoid 154 is energized and the shaft 150begins its single revolution. Thus, the

document engaged with the teeth 124 and 127 on the drums 120- and 128will be advanced by a distance equal those drums and the documentengaged with the teeth thereon will be stationary at the time that thepunching pins 140 are actuated.

are not continuously rotated, but are intermittently stepped throughpredetermined angles and at random timed instants, depending upon theenergization of the solenoid 154, the documents will be individually andsuccessively alined with and located on the tapered teeth 124 and 127 ofthe two drums. This is possible, first, because the belt flight 116adriven in increments from the shaft 150 and the cooperating guidesurface (not shown in FIGS. l0 and 1l but corresponding to the surface46a in FIG. 2) act to shift each document in a direction lengthwise ofthe cylinder until the row of feed holes 112 in that document aretransversely alined with the plane of the teeth 124. Then, as thedocument is advanced toward the drum 120, its leading edge will engagethe retarding finger 121, so that the document will be heldsubstantially stationary, and will slide relatively to the belt ight116a, until a tooth 124 on the drum 120 enters the first feed hole inthe document. By this arrangement, successful handling and alining ofseparate documents with the perforating pins is accomplished.

FIG. 12 illustrates apparatus quite similar to that of FIGS. l() and 1l,except that the means for operating on documents are perforation readingmeans in the form of feeler pins, rather than perforating means. Thedocument alinement and feeding mechanism of FIG. 12 is identical to thatpreviously described in connection with FIGS. 10 and 11, and thus hasbeen only partially shown and with like reference characters applied tolike parts.

To feel or read the combination of holes in each document field, aplurality of vertically movable feeler pins 200 are disposed in atransverse row beneath the guide surface. They are located, withreference to the cylindrical drums 120 and 128 in the same positions aslthe perforating pins 140 in FIGS. 10 and 11. These feeler pins 200 arenormally biased to retracted positions where they rest on the forwardends of relay bars 201.

To effect raising of only those particular pins 200 which lie opposite ahole or perforation in the document field which is alined therewith, therelay bars 201 are pivoted at their rear ends on a common rod 202, andbiased upwardly by tension springs 204. The relay bars 201 are normallyhelddepressed against the bias of these latter springs by a kplate 205integral or rigid with an operating lever 206 pivoted on the rod 202 andbiased in a counterclockwise direction by a spring 208. K

The rear end of the operating lever 206 carries a cam follower 209engaged with a cam 210 mounted on a shaft 211 which is given onerevolution each time that the perforations on a given document eld areto be read. The shaft 211 corresponds substantially to the shaft in FIG.11.

Each time after a perforation field in a document has been placed inregistry with the retracted feeler pins 200, i.e., after the drums 120and 128 have been advanced by one angular increment, the low portion ofthe cam 210 permits the operating lever 206 to rock clockwise as viewedin FIG. 12, so that the plate 205 is lifted free of the relay bars201.`l Accordingly, those relay bars which areassociated with pins 200which lie beneath perforations in the document will swing upwardly underthe iniluence of their springs 204, with the pins passing throughperforation holes. Those relay bars which are associated with pins 2.00which do not lie opposite a perforation in the document will be blockedfrom such upward movement.

Associated with the respective relay bars 201 are actuating levers 214,all pivoted on a rod 215 and having lower operating ngers 216 engagedwith leaf spring contacts 218 disposed opposite stationary contacts 219of corresponding switches. 'Ihe upper ends of the switchoperating levers214 are normally engaged with lugs on the forward ends of the relay bars201, being held in angular positions about the rod 215 such that theirtips 216 hold theleaf spring contacts 218 away from the stationarycontacts 219. Spreader bars 220 are disposed adjacent the upper ends ofthe operating levers 214 and normally prevent angular movement of thoselevers.

When the operating lever 206 swings clockwise to raise the plate 205 andpermit those ones of the relay bars 201 associated with pins 200 whichlie opposite perforations to rise, a cam 221 disposed between thespreader barsv 220 is lifted free of such bars, so that the upper endsof the switch-operating levers 214 which are cleared by those ones ofthe relay bars 201 which are raised, can be angularly deflected underthe biasing force of the associated leaf spring switch contact 218.Accordingly, fthose ones of the several switches 218, 219 whichcorrespond to the particular combination of holes in a document fieldwill be momentarily closed. The switch-operating arms 214 which areengaged with relay bars 201 that are not raised, will be retained intheir original positions by engagement with such relay bars, and willnot move f Vto permit closure of the associated switch contacts when thespreader bars 220 are given freedom to move toward one another. Y

After that particular combination of switches 218, 219 corresponding toholes which appear in a perforation field have been closed momentarily,the operating lever 206 is returned to its original position by the cam210. Accordingly, the cam member 221 again is inserted between thespreader bars 220, and the latter shift thoseV ones of theswitch-operating levers 214 which were deected 'back to their originalpositions, thereby reopening those switches 218, 219 which were momen-:tarily closed. Following this, the plate S is lowered with the forwardend of the lever 206, and shifts the previously raised relay bars 201,and their associated feeler pins 200, downwardly to their originalpositions. The apparatus is then in readiness to perform another `cycleof operation.

The manner in which the momentary closure of the v.different switchcontacts and different combinations is utilized to convey theintelligence represented by the lperforations in the document being readis well known to those skilled in the art and will not be described infurther detail. Y

FIGS'. 28 Yshow the application of the present alinement means to amachine for photoelectrically reading legible perforated charactersplaced in perforation fields on separate documents. The apparatusillustrated by FIGS. 10 and lil shows the novel alinement means as*applied to a perforating machine which can accept separate documentsand not only successively perforate different combinations of holes inperforation elds, but make certain that those perforation fields areaccurately alined with the perforating pins. Finally, the apparatus inFIG. 12. makes it clear that the present alinement Ymeans, in the formshown in greater detail by FIGS. l0

perforation` fields in each document being successively alined withfeeling or reading pins which control the lclosure of switches toproduce electrical `signals corresponding to the intelligencerepresented by the coded perforations.

The present application is a continuation of appiicants copendingapplication Serial No. 768,408, led October 20, 1958, now abandoned. Y

I claim:

l. In a machine for operating on fields occupying parts of the totalarea of separate documents,rsaid documents each having a row of feedholes uniformly spaced therealong with each eld having a referencespacing from one of said holes, the combination comprising a cylindricaldrum, means for rotationally driving said drurn, an array of taperedteeth radially projecting from said drum and circularly spaced apart inconformity with the spacing of said feed holes, means for feedingdocuments one at a time toward the surface of said drum, said last meansincluding means for posturing each document such that the row of feedholes therein isy generallyalined in a direction lengthwise of said drumwith said teeth, means for retarding the leading edge of each documentas it reaches the surface of said drum so that one of said teeth entersthe first hole in the document, means for pressing each document againstthe surface of said drum as said teeth move the document with saidsurface, normally ineffective means for operating on the elds of saiddocuments, means mounting said operating means with reference spacingfrom said teeth in a direction lengthwise of said drum and at a selectedangular position about the axis of said drum, and means for renderingsaid operating means effective when each of said teeth is in apredetermined angular position as said drum rotates.

2. In a machine having a device for operating on elds occupying `a partof documents, said documents each having a row of uniformly spaced feedholes alined a predetermined distance from one edge, each of the fieldsin said documents having a reference spacing from one of said feedholes, apparatus for alining the fields in successive documents withsaid operating device comprising, in combination, a cylindrical drum,means for rotating said drum, a circular array of tapered teethprojecting radially from said drum to engage with the fee-d holes in thedocuments, an endless belt and means for driving the same with lasurface speed in excess of the peripheral speed of said drum, meanssupporting said belt with one yiiight thereof moving toward andterminating adjacent the surface of said drum, a stationary guidedisposed along one edge of said belt flight and disposed at right anglesto the axis of said drum, said belt flight being skewed to approach saidguide as it moves toward said drum, means for depositing documents oneat a time on said belt iiight so that their one edges are moved intoengagement with said guide and they are advanced toward said drum, meansfor retarding the leading edge of each document as it reaches thesurface of the drum so that one of the sprocket teeth enters the rstfeed hole in that document, means for holding the documents rmly againstthe surface of said drum as they are moved with the latter by saidteeth, means mounting said operating device with reference spacing fromthe plane of said teeth, and means for rendering said operating deviceeffective as each of said teeth is in a predetermined angular position,so that the operating element when effective is alined with a eld in adocument.

3. In a machine having a device for operating on perforation fieldsoccupying a part of documents, said documents having a row of uniformlyspaced round feed holes of a irst diameter therein with each perforationiield having a predeterminedV reference spacing from one of said holes,said row of holes being spaced uniformly from one edge of each document,the combination comprising a cylindrical drum, means for rotating saiddrum, a circular array of teeth projecting radially from said drum and17 uniformly spaced therearound by a distance equal to the spacingbetween said feed holes, each of said teeth being tapered and having tipand root diameters respectively smaller than and substantially equal tosaid first diameter, an endless belt and means supporting the same withone fiight thereof leading to the periphery of said drum and disposed ina plane defined by the chord of a shallow segment of the cross sectionof the drum, means yfor driving said belt so that said flight movestoward said drum at a linear speed in excess of the peripheral speed ofsaid drum, a guide disposed on one side of said belt flight and lying atright angles to the axis of said drum, said guide also being spaced fromsaid teeth along said axis by a distance equal to the spacing of saidfeed holes from the said one edge of each document, said belt ight beingangled within said plane to move toward said guide, means forsuccessively feeding documents one at a time onto said belt flight sothat the latter moves the said one edge of each document into slidingcontact with said vguide and advances each document toward said drum, a

cept the leading edges of documents moving with said belt, a stationaryband engaging and partially wrapping the surface of said drum to holddocuments against such surface as they move away from said retardingfinger with said teeth engaged in the feed holes, means mounting saidoperating device with a predetermined reference spacing from lthe planein which said teeth lie, and means for rendering said operating deviceeffective only when each of said teeth is in a predetermined angularposition.

4. In a machine for operating on fields of separate documents passedsuccessively therethrough, said documents each having a row of feedholes therein, the combination comprising a medium having a continuousmovable surface, means for moving said surface along a closed pathya rowof tapered teeth projecting from said surface, and spaced apart parallelto the direction of surface movement by distances equal to the spacingof said feed holes, a stationary retarding finger closely spaced fromrsaid surface, and meansfor successively feeding documents toward saidsurface so that the leading edges thereof will engage said finger,whereby the said teeth will progressively engage the feed holes in eachdocument and carry the same around with said surface.

5. In a machine for operating on predetermined partial areas of separatedocuments, said documents each having a row of feed holes thereinlocated with reference to said areas, the combination comprising amedium having a continuous movable surface, means for moving saidsurface along a closed path, an array of tapered teeth circularly spacedalong and projecting radially from said surface, a stationary retardingfinger spaced adjacent said surface, means for successively feedingdocuments toward a point on said surface which is approaching saidfinger, said feeding means Vbeing positioned to make each documentapproach said surface with the row of holes therein substantially alinedwith the plane in which all of said teeth lie, said feeding meansincluding means for giving the documents a linear velocity greater thanthe speed of said surface, so that as the leading edge of each doculmentreaches said surface it is deected into engagement with said finger andretarded by such linger until the next tooth on the surface enters thefirst feed hole in the docu- 1S documents slide under said member asthey travel with said surface, whereby said documents are pressed intowrinkle-less conformity to the surface.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6, further characterized in thatsaid stationary member is a fiexible band having an elongated slottherein, said band beingV held taut to engage said surface andpositioned such that said teeth pass through said slot as the surfacemoves.

8. ln a machine for reading legible perforated characters in fields ofseparate documents, said documents each having a row of uniformly spacedfeed holes therein, each perforation field having reference spacing fromone of said feed holes, the combination comprising a cylindrical drum,means for rotating said drum, an array of circularly spaced taperedteeth projecting radially from the surface of said drum, an arcuateguide spaced from the end of said drum to define a slot having referencespacing from said teeth, a photoelectric reading head mounted inregistry with said slot, means for feeding said documents one at a timetoward the surface of said drum with the feed holes thereinsubstantially alined with the plane of said teeth, and at a speed inexcess of the peripheral speed of'said drum, means for retarding theleading edge of each document just after it reaches the sur-face of saiddrum so that the first feedV hole in each document is entered by one ofsaid teeth, a light source within said slot to projectl a light throughperforations in document fields Y to saidhead, and means for holdingsaid documents firmly against the surfaces of said drum and guide whilethe documents are moved past said head. v

9. In a machine for operating on successive rows of perforation fieldsin separate documents, said documents each having a row of uniformlyspaced feed holes therein which extend-s transversely to saidperforation field rows and with reference spacing from such field rows,the combination comprising first and second cylindrical drums havingparallel axes, means for successively stepping said drums in unison byintermittent equal rotation steps which advance the peripheries of thedrums by distances equal to the width of one field row, first and secondairays of tapered teeth circularly spaced around and projecting radiallyfrom the surfaces of said first and second drums, respectively, saidarrays of teeth lying ina common plane, means for feeding documents insteps successively toward the surface of said first drum with the feedholes in each document substantially alined with said plane, saidfeeding means including means for traversing each document at a linearspeed in excess of the peripheral speed of said first drum, meansincluding a finger adjacent the surface of said tirst drum for engagingand retarding the leading edge of each document until one of said rstteeth enters the first feed hole in that document and carries the latteraround with the'rst drum surface, means for holding each doc-ument:firmly against the surface of said first drum as the latter turnsthrough a predetermined angle, la flat entially to said drums, saiddrums ybeing spaced apart and iangularly phased so that a tooth on saidfirst drum is perpendicular to said guide surface when each tooth onsaid second drum is correspondingly perpendicular and so that suchsimultaneously perpendicular teeth are spaced apart by a multiple of thespacing between document feed holes, means for operating on theperforation field rows of documents, means mounting said operating meanswith reference spacing along said guide surface relative to suchperpendicular teeth, and means for actuating said operating means atinstants when said drums are stationary in predetermined'angularpositions which make each document field row lie in registry with saidoperating means.

10. In a machine for operating on successive rows of perforation fieldsin separate documents, said documents each having a row of uniformlyspaced feed holes therein which extends transversely to said perforationfield rows and with reference spacing from such field rows, the

combina-tions comprising first and second cylindrical drums havingparallel axes, means for successively stepping said drums in unison byintermittent equal rotational steps, first and second arrays of taperedteeth circularly spaced around and projecting radially from the surfacesof said first and second drums, respectively, means for feedingdocuments successively toward the surface of said first drum with thefeed holes in each document substantially alined in a directionlengthwise of the drum with said tti-rst teeth so that one of said firstteeth enters the first feed hole in each document and carries the latteraround with the first drum surface, a guide surface extending betweenand substantially tangentially to said drums for transferring documentsfrom the first drum to the second, means for operating on theperforation field rows of the documen-ts, means mounting said operatingmeans with reference spacing along said guide surface relative to theaxes of said drums, and means for actuating said operating means atVinstants when said drums are stationary in predetermined angularpositions which make each field row lie in registry with rsaid operatingmeans.

ll. In a machine for operating on successive rows of perforation fleldsin separate documents, said documents each having a row of uniformlyspaced feed holes therein which extends transversely to said perforationfield rows and with reference spacingV from such field rows, thecombination comprising first land second cylindrical drums havingpanallel axes, pawl and ratchet means for successively and synchronouslystepping said drums in unison by intermittent equal rotational steps,first and second arrays of tapered teeth circula-rly spaced around andprojecting radially from the surface of said first and second drums,respectively, means for feeding documents successively toward thesurface of said first drum with the feed holes in each documentsubstantially alined in a direction lengthwise of the drum with saidfirst teeth, means for engaging and retarding the leading edge of eachdocument until one of said first teeth enters the first feed holeVint'hat document and carries the latter around with the first drumsurface, a flat guide surface extendying between and substantiallytangentially to said drums for transferring documents from the first tothe second drum, said drums being spaced apart and angularly phased sothat a tooth on said first drum is perpendicular to said guide surfacewhen each tooth on said second drum is correspondingly perpendicular andso that such simultaneously perpendicular teeth are spaced apart |by amultiple of the spacing between document feed holes, means for operatingon the perforation field rows of the docu- @ments means mounting saidoperating means with reference spacing along said guide surface relativeto Such perpendicular teeth, and means for alternately driving said pawland ratchet means and actuating said operating means so that eachdocument field row is registered with said operating means when thelatter are actuated.

l2.` In a machine Ifor operating on' successive rows of perforationfields in separate documents, said documents each having a row ofuniformly spaced feed holes therein, the combination comprising firstand second cylindrical drums having parallel axes, means forsuccessively stepping said drums in unison by intermittent equalrotational steps,'first and second arrays of tapered teeth circularlyspaced around and projecting radially from the surfaces of said firstand second drums, respectively, means for feeding documents successivelytoward the surface of said first drum with the feed holes in eachdocument substantially alined in adirection lengthwise of the drum withsaid first teeth, and means for transferring each document fromengagement with the teeth on the first drum to engagement with the teethon said second drum.

13. The combination set forth in claim 9 further characterized in thatsaid operating means comprises a plurality of perforating pins actuatedin selectable combinations to punch perforations in the document fieldrows.

`1li. The combination set forth in claim 9 further characterized in thatsaid operating means comprises a plurality of feeler pins brought intoengagement with each document fieid row, and means for electricallysignalling which ones of said pins finds and passes through aperforation.

l5. In a machine for reading characters represented bylight-transmissive indicia in the fields of separate documents, saiddocuments each having a row of uniformly spaced feed holes therein witheach character field having reference spacing from one of said feedholes, the combination comprising a cylindrical drum, means for rotatingsaid drum, an array of teeth projecting from and spaced around said drumin a plane perpendicular to the axis of drum rotation, means for feedingsaid documents successiveiy toward the surface of said drum with thedocument feed holes substantially alined in said plane, said last-namedmeans causing said documents to approach said drum along a chord of ashallow are of the drum is bent in the direction of drum surfacemovement to encross-section so that the leading edge of each documentgage said teeth inthe feed holes, a light source, a photoelectricreading head, means for mounting said head and source so that thecharacter fields of documents carried on said drum surface pass betweenthe two, means for holding said documents firmly in curved conformitywith the surface of said drum as said documents pass between said sourceand head, and means for sensing the response of said reading head onlyat those instants when one of said teeth has reference spacingcircumferentially of the drum from said head.

`l6. In a machine for operating on `the fields of successive documentseach of which has a row of feed holes with reference spacing from thefields, the combination comprising first and second cylindrical drumsrotatable about parallel axes, means for rotating said drums in unison,first and second arrays of tapered teeth respectively circularly spacedaround and projecting radially from the surfaces of said first andsecond drums, means for feeding documents successively toward thesurface of said first drum with the feed holes in each documentsubstantially alined in a direction lengthwise of the drum with saidteeth, means for guiding the leading edge of each document from saidfirst drum toward said second drum so that Vsaid second teeth engage thefeed holes in the document, means disposed along said guide means for'operating on the document fields, and means for actuating said operatingmeans when one of said rst teeth yhas reference spacing in the directionof document movement from said operating means.

l7. In a machine for operating on fields of separate documents passedsuccessively therethrough, said documents each having a row of feedholes spaced uniformly and each of which has reference spacing, in adirection parallel to the row, from one of said fields; the combinationcomprising a continuous movable surface and means for moving the same, aplurality of tapered teeth projecting from said surface and spaced apartalong said surface to move in a common plane, the spacing between saidteeth corresponding to the spacing of said feed holes, means for feedingdocuments successively toward said surface and making said teeth enterthe feed holes in such documents so that the latter are positioned onsaid surface by said teeth, normally inactive means adjacent to saidsurface for operating on said Ydocuments while they are on the surface,and means for activating said operating means at instants when one vofsaid teeth has reference spacing, in the direction of tooth movement,from said operating means. p

18. In a machine for operating on fields of separate documents passedsuccessively therethrough, said documents each having a row of feedholestherein which are uniformly spaced apart andhave reference spacingfrom said fields, the combination Vcomprising a cylindrical drumrotatable about its longitudinal axis, a plurality of tapered teethprojecting radially from said drum and disposed in a plane radialthereto, the spacing between said teeth circumferentially of the drumcorresponding to the spacing' of said feed holes, means for feedingdocuments successively toward said drum and making said teeth enter thefeed holes in such documents to position the latter on the drum, meansdisposed adjacent the periphery of said drum for operating on saiddocument fields, and means for activating said operating means when oneof said teeth is in an angular position that has reference spacing,circumferentially about said drum, from said operating means so that thefield is registered with the operating means.

i9. In apparatus for handling flexible documents each of which has a rowof uniformly spaced feed holes therein, an endless surface and means formoving the same along a path which is at least in part along an arc, aplurality of teeth projecting from said surface and uniformly spacedapart in the direction of surface movement by distances equal to thespacing of said feed holes, means for feeding said documentssuccessively toward said surface with the feed holes substantiallyalined with said teeth in a direction transverse to the direction ofsurface movement, said feeding means including means for disposing eachdocument in a flat condition and in a plane oriented along a chord ofthe arc along Which said surface moves, so that the leading edge of eachdocument is fiexed upon engagement with said surface in the direction ofmovement of such surface.

20. In apparatus for handling flexible documents each of which has a rowof uniformly spaced feed holes therein, a cylindrical drum rotatableabout its axis, a plurality of teeth projecting radially from said drumand uniformly spaced circumferentially therearound by distances equal tothe spacing of said feed holes, said teeth being disposed in a planenormal to said drum axis, means for feeding said documents successivelytoward said drum with the rows of feed holes substantially alined withsaid plane, said feeding means.k including means for moving eachdocument in. a fiat plane which lies along a chord of the circular crosssection of the dmm so that the first action of the drum upon engagementtherewith by the leading edge portion of a document is to bend thatleading edge portion in the direction of the drum movement.

2l. In a machine for operating on fields occupying parts of the totalarea of separate documents passed therethrough, said documents eachhaving a row of feed holes therein, the combination comprising, a firstmember having an endless surface, means for driving the endless surfaceof said first member at a predetermined speed, a plurality of alinedteeth spaced along and projecting from said surface for engagement withthe feed holes in said document, a second member having an endlesssurface for advancing said documents toward said first member with saidfeed holes alined with said teeth, and means for driving the endlesssurface of said second member at a speed different than the speed ofsaid first member.

22. In a machine for operating on fields of separate documents passedsuccessively therethrough, said documents each having a row of feedholes spaced uniformly and each of which has reference spacing, in adirection parallel yto the row, from one of said fields; the combinationcomprising, a first continuous movable surface and means for moving thesame at a predetermined speed, a plurality of tapered teeth projectingfrom said surface and spaced apart along said surface to move in acommon plane, the spacing between said teeth corresponding to thespacing of said feed holes, a second continuous movable surface foradvancing documents successively toward said first surface with saidholes alined with said teeth, means for moving said second surface at adifferent speed than said first surface, and means for retarding theleading edge of each document so that said teethare engaged with thefeed holes in said documents to position the latter on said firstsurface.

23. In a machine for reading perforated characters in fields of separatedocuments, said documents each having a row of uniformly spaced feedholes therein, the combination comprising, a cylindrical drum, means forrotating said drum, means mially spaced from one end of said drum anddefining therewith an arcuate slot, a photoelectrc reading head mountedin registry with said slot, a plurality of circularly spaced taperedteeth disposed evenly along and projecting from the surface of said drumfor engagement with the feed holes in each of said documents, said teethbeing positioned so that said document fields traverse said slot uponengagement with the teeth, an endless belt for successively advancingsaid documents toward said drum with said feed holes alined with saidteeth, means for retarding the leading edge of each document just afterit reaches the surface of said drum so that one of said teeth iseffectively engaged with one of said feed holes, means for driving saidbelt at a different speed than Ithe peripheral speed of said drum, and alight source for projecting light through the perforations in saiddocument fields to said head.

24. In a machine for operating on fields occupying parts of the totalarea of separate documents passed therethrough, said documents eachhaving a row of feed holes therein, the combination comprising, a firstmember having an endless surface, means for driving the endless surfaceof said first member at a predetermined speed, a plurality of alinedteeth spaced along and projecting from said surface for engagement withthe feed holes in said document, a second member having an endlesssurface for advancing said documents toward said first member with saidfeed holes alined with said teeth, means for driving the endless surfaceof said second member at a speed slower than the speed of said firstmember, and means for retarding the leading edge of each document sothat said teeth engage the feed holes therein and position suchdocuments on the endless surface of said first member.

25. In a machine for reading legible perforated characters in fields ofseparate documents, said documents each having a row of uniformly spacedfeed holes therein, the combination comprising, a cylindrical drum,means for rotating said drum, means axially spaced from one end of saiddrum and defining therewith an arcuate slot, a photoelectric readinghead mounted in registry with said slot, a plurality of circularlyspaced tapered teeth disposed evenly along and projecting from thesurface of said drum for engagement with the feed holes in saiddocuments, said teeth arranged to position each document on the surfaceof said drum with its associated field overlying said slot, an endlessbelt for 'advancing said documents toward said drum with said feed holesalined with said teeth, means for driving said belt at a speed slowerthan the peripheral speed of said drum, and a. light source forprojecting light through the perforations in each of said documentfields to said head.

26. In a machine for operating on fields of separate documents passedsuccessively therethrough, said documents each having a row of feedholes spaced uniformly and each of which has reference spacing, in adirection parallel to the row, from one of said fields; the combinationcomprising, a first continuous movable surface and means for moving thesame at a predetermined speed, a plurality of tapered teeth projectingfrom said surface and spaced apart along said surface to move in acommon plane, the spacing between said teeth corresponding to thespacing of said feed holes, a second continuous movable surface foradvancing documents successively toward said first surface with saidholes alined with said teeth, means for moving said second surface at aspeed slower than said first surface so that said teeth are engaged withthe feed holes in said documents to position vthe latter on said firstsurface, and means for maintaining said documents in smooth conformitywith respect to said first continuous movable surface.

27. -In a machine for reading characters represented bylight-transmissible indicia in the fields of separate documents, saiddocuments each having a row of uniformly 23 spaced feed holes thereinwith each character field having reference spacing from one of said feedholes, the combination comprising, a cylindrical drum, means for ro'-tating said drum, an array of teeth projecting from and spaced aroundsaid drum in a plane perpendicular to the axis of drum rotation, acontinuous surface for advancing said documents successively toward thesurface of said drum with the document feed holes substantially alinedin said plane, means for moving said surface at a speed slower than theperipheral speed of said drum, means for retarding the leading edge ofeach document so that said teeth are engaged in the feed holes, a lightsource, a photoelectric reading head, means for mounting said 24 headand source so that the character fields of documents carried on saiddrum pass between the two, and means for sensing the response of saidreading head only at those instances when one of said teeth hasreference spacing circumfercntially of the drum from said head.

References @ited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS f2,637,399 Doty May 5, 1953 2,729,136 Feick et al Jan. 3, 1956 2,845,122Lake et al July 29, 1958 2,849,916 Nolan Sept. 2, 1958 2,879,993Scozzafava Mar. 31, 1959 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE 0FCORRECTION Patent NO.. 3,033,445 May 8, 1962 William H. Dreyer It ishereby certified that error appears in the abo-ve numbered patentrequiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read ascorrected below.

Column l, line l2, for "heerin" read herein column 4, line l2, for "assuch" read such as column lO, line 57, for "accordingly" read accordingline 58, for "ll" read lll column ll, line 23, for "carrier" readcarried column 20, line 18, strike out "is bent in the direction of drumsurface movement to en" and insert the same after "each document" inline 19, same column 20.

Signed and sealed this 12th day of March 1963,

(SEAL) Attest:

ESTON G, JOHNSON DAVID L. LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

